Balanced treatment of Ulster history

[macwilkin]

Sorry, but Memorial Day is just not about the "boys in blue," Mr. historian!

Do you know the history of Memorial Day, sir? Given the comment above, perhaps you might read this article:

http://www.suvcw.org/logan.htm

Or this snippet from the VA's web page:

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

-- http://www1.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp

Memorial Day today honours all servicemen and women from all wars, but the origin of the holiday comes from the Civil War, and our observance comes directly from the Grand Army of the Republic, the veterans organization for the "Boys in Blue", who were inspired by Southern women decorating the graves of fallen soldiers, North & South, in local cemeteries. It was most certainly "their" holiday that they now share with the sons & daughters of the Republic that fell in the Argonne, at Pearl Harbor and Kasserine Pass, The Punchbowl, Ia Drang and Fallujah.

[denmcdough]

Yes, I'm infinitely aware of the history of Memorial Day. I don't think that you have a lock on history, sir!!!! Thank you for your outward manifestations of knowledge.

[McElmurry]

OK, I get it. Historical writers have some amount of bias and maybe an agenda hidden or otherwise.
Thanks to those who recommended books to me.

[macwilkin]

Yes, I'm infinitely aware of the history of Memorial Day. I don't think that you have a lock on history, sir!!!! Thank you for your outward manifestations of knowledge.

I never said I did, nor would I make that claim. I simply documented my arguement with historical facts, as I was taught to do. If they offended you, then I am sorry.

T.

[denmcdough]

Thanks! But, I'm really not offended. You do a good job of presenting history, that's why you're the forum historian.

[macwilkin]

OK, I get it. Historical writers have some amount of bias and maybe an agenda hidden or otherwise.
Thanks to those who recommended books to me.

My personal apologies to the Mods and especially to McElmurry for hijacking this thread.

In an attempt to get back on topic, here are a couple of books on the Galloglass, in reference to John's comments earlier:

Galloglas: Hebridean and West Highland Mercenary Kindreds in Medieval Ireland By John Mardsen. Tuckwell Press, 2004.

The World of the Gallowglass: Kings, Warlords and Warriors in Ireland and Scotland, 1200-1600 by Sean Duffy. Four Courts Press, 2007.

Galloglass 1250-1600: Gaelic Mercenary Warrior by Fergus Cannan. Osprey Publishing, 2010.

T.

[Lallans]

To maintain the theme of recommended books:

First, let me make full disclosure that the 'NI' in my user name stands for 'Northern Ireland'. I am a Canadian of Scots and Ulster-Scot and Scots-Irish and Ethnic Irish extraction altogether [plus a Belgian from 1624]. I have no personal dog in the fight but I've had cousins killed in the terror campaigns and more recently than you might think.

I am currently reading a very gentle and balanced treatment of PRESENT DAY Ulster by a fellow Canuck, Mr Will Ferguson. The title is "Beyond Belfast" and is an account of his walking The Ulster Way footpath, which circles the outer perimeter of the current 6 counties of Northern Ireland. Mr F is also a bit of a humourist, which is quite an asset in the context. He necessarily brings in a lot of Ulster history and his book is the introduction to NI I wish I'd had. Try that book, you won't be sorry.

[McElmurry]

Thanks to all for re-focusing the topic and the great book recommendations. I have a lot of reading to do.

[Good Egg]

I appreciate that its not the area of history that you are interested in but if you are want a fairly balanced view on the background to the 'troubles' I would recommend: 'A Secret History of the IRA' by Ed Maloney.

[O'Callaghan]

Exactly. Not all Northern Protestants were of Planter stock, some were native Irish who converted. Also, there was a Scottish presence in Ulster long before the Plantation: The Gallowglass. As they were Gaelic-speaking and Catholic, they were assimilated into the local populace even faster than the Normans a couple of centuries prior.

Gaelic Irish that converted to become protestants mainly joined the Church of Ireland, which is a branch of the Anglican church, aka Episcopalian. This was the established church. OTOH, protestant Ulster Scots were and are mostly Presbyterian, so it's not all that hard to disambiguate two groups that attended different churches. The main reason for conversion was to overcome bans on Catholics buying land and/or joining the learned professions, which were repealed in the first half of the 19th century.